The National Park Service has drafted its “Second Century Campground Strategy” which promises to bring changes to American National Parks.
In this video Jason Epperson summarizes the changes the NPS is looking to make for RVers and tent campers. Plus, he shares a little history on the development of National Park campgrounds from the earliest days to a “redesign” in the mid-1960s, and what they may look like in the future. The “Campground Design Guide” is a 150-plus page document outlining everything from disability accessibility issues to trails, signs, wastewater treatment and whatever else goes into making a campground.
Jason explains that the changes won’t be earth shattering — no WiFi and artificial attractions like what are found at KOA and Jellystone campgrounds. But the new design ideas do include more room for larger rigs and 50-amp power hookups.
The National Park Service has already consulted with other federal land organizations as well as state park authorities. Now, it wants to hear from the public. You can do that here. …
Related article:
Park Service needs your help with RV campground design
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They need to add MORE spots. I have seen long lines at the national park camping entrances of people desperate to get a spot for the night lined up at 7AM trying in hopes of landing a spot. I know a few of you don’t think wifi is important but many of us need to be connected for business and personal needs. I may use wifi to book spots ahead or for downloading a movie for later in the night or just reading and deleting email. Like it or not we are a connected society. I use wifi often to check weather and travel as well. Some of us are roadtrippers we can’t make reservations months in advance.
Make sure bathrooms are close to all sights and have basic showers. Many of us don’t have big rigs we have small teardrop campers that are also popular and we need to have accommodations that we don’t have onboard our rigs. I have seen to many RV parks with to few rest rooms they are gear to big rigs. Make sure that the attractions at the park are accessible to old people with health issues.
The parks definitely need more campsites, but not all need to be 45ft with 50A electricity. There’s a boom of class B RVs (vans) that can fit in 25ft or less. And with solar and lithium becoming more and more popular, a lot of RV’s don’t really need an electrical hookup at all. Making fresh water available and providing a sewer dump station at the campground works fine for a lot of new RVs.
looking forward to more parks set up to fit into nature … those of us that love that will continue to use them so long as we can get in. Have only been to old CCC cg so far (here in FL not many) but sure hope they make the campers fit in with nature also – might be surprised how beautiful dark skies are without LED lighting around the camper (lights out by 9 or 10) and enjoy the sound of silence (or the woods, water, wind) around you … thanks for the update
I’ll stay optimistic but so far- just as with lots of other government ideas, all I’ve seen is lots of money poured into salaries and created positions. I’ll go visit the site and see what specifically they’re planning…and I hope that even a portion of it materializes. This is another big reason we stay at private places.
Uhhhh, sorry dude, those were not Canada Geese, they were Sandhill Cranes!
I love the National Parks, I just wish they still had non reserve able sites at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake Shore. When I retired, I had planned on showing up during the middle of the week and staying for a week or two without having to fight the reservation system in February. I do like the fact I can wash my dishes at the Bath House so I don’t need full hook-ups, electricity is enough, I can even live on a good 30 outlet with my 50 amp Motor Home. I just love the ambience and lack of crowding around the sites.